Ventilating unit



April 1949- L. w. EGGLESTON 2,467,018

VENTILATING UNIT Filed May 11, 1945 Lm BY INVENTOR. W

M ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 12, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in apparatus for supplying air to and discharging air from a room.

An object of the invention is to provide a closure member for an air supply and discharge conduit which will not be opened by wind pressure.

Another object is to provide a closure member or damper which will be automatically opened by operation of a ventilating fan.

Another object is to provide means for controlling the operation of a ventilating fan.

The invention consists in the improved construction and arrangement of parts to be more fully described hereinafter and the novelty of which will be particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, to be taken as a part of this specification, there is fully and clearly illustrated a prefered embodiment of the invention, in which drawings:

Figure 1 is a view from the exterior of the ventilating unit installed in wall opening;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view in section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a View in section on the line 3-3 of ig. 1.

Referring to the drawings by characters of reference, I designates the side wall of a house, such as the exterior wall of a basement room 2 preferably to be used for the storage of produce. The ventilating unit 3 is positioned in and extends through an opening 4 which may be a window opening in the wall 2. If there is space in the opening 4 around the unit 3, the space is closed by a partition 5. Felt or other sealing material 6 is used to close any cracks around the unit 3 and partition 5.

The unit 3 comprises a conduit or duct member of sheet metal which is rectangular in cross-section and has its ends open, although the exterior end I may be provided with a screen permitting free air flow. Inward of the exterior end I, there is a shaft or pivot means 8 extending between and secured in apertures in the side walls 9, ll! of the conduit, midway of its height. Journaled on the shaft 8 there is a damper or valve plate II having equal area upper and lower portions l2, I3 respectively. On the room or inward side of the damper plate I I there is a horizontal partition I l dividing the conduit member into an upper air discharge or outflow passageway I and a lower air supply or inflow passageway I6. The plate or partition I l terminates at its inner end edge I! midway oi the height of the conduit member and closely adjacent the damper plate I H such that it serves as a stop to limit the opening swing of the damper plate. The lower damper portion I3 swings inward into the passageway Hi. The shaft 8 is sufiiciently back from conduit end I so that the upper damper portion I2 will not swing outside of the conduit member which protects the portion I2 from the accumulation of snow or ice. The damper plate is urged to vertical conduit closing position by a counterweight I8 carried on the inside lower edge of the portion I3. The positioning of the shaft 8 out of the plane of the damper plate causes the plate by its weight due to its eccentric support to normally swing to closed position. Reverse swing of the damper plate beyond the vertical is prevented by U-shaped strips I9 of felt or the like secured to the conduit member walls. These strips also quiet or deaden the noise of damper closing. By balancing the damper plate with equal upper and lower areas, wind entering the end I cannot move the damper plate and the counterweight will close it even though wind is blowing. In the lower passageway I6 adjacent its room or outlet end 20, there is a draft or suction fan 2| carried by the shaft of an electric motor 22 which is mounted on a bracket 23 secured to the conduit bottom wall 24. On the inlet side of the fan 2| there is an orifice or closure plate 25 extending across the passageway I6 and having a circular opening 26 therethrough cooperable with the fan 2 I The partition It has an upward bent or elevated portion 2? to provide fan clearance and terminates at its room end in a downward inclined portion 28 to direct discharging air from passageway I6 and fan 2| away from the inlet 29 to the passageway I5.

Mounted on the external surface of the conduit sidewall 9 there is a differential temperature control switch 36 having a casing of electric insulating material and for controlling the fan motor 22. In the casing, there are cooperable bimetal switch actuating strips 3|, 32 carrying cooperable contacts 33, 34 respectively. The switch casing extends through the partition or wall 5 so that the strip 3! responds to the temperature within the room 2 or at the room end of the conduit member, while the strip 32 responds to the outdoor temperature or the temperature at the exterior end of the conduit member. Both strips move downward upon decreasing temperature, but equally for equal changes affecting both strips. If, however, the outdoor temperature decreases below the indoor temperature, then contact 34 will engage and make circuit with contact 33. When the indoor temperature decreases to the outdoor temperature, then strip 31 will move contact 33 away from contact 34 and break circuit. An adjustable stop 35 cooperates with strip 32 to limit the low temperature in room At a temperature of say 34 F. in the room so that produce will not freeze, the strip 32 will have contacted the stop 35 and the contacts 33 and 34 will separate. Cooperabie magnet and armature members 36, 31 may be provided on the strips-3 l, 32 respectively so that the contacts will make and break with a snap action. The switch and motor are in series circuit. The contact 33 is connected to line by lead wire 38. The contact is connected to the motor 22 by lead wire 39. The other motor terminal is connected to the other side of the line by lead Wire 40.

The operation is as follows: When the temperature in the room 2 increases above outdoor temperature or vice versa, the switch 30 will close the fan motor circuit, provided the indoor *temp'erature is not below the limitset by the stop 3. Assoonas the fan "2| starts, it'will create subatmospheric pressure in the passageway 16 on the inlet side of the fan and between the orifice plate 25 and the damper portion I3. Accordingly, the atmospheric pressure in the conduit end i will push the damper plate open to say the :dot dash lineposition, Fig. .3. Thepressure-increase in room 2'wi1l discharge air from the room atthe higher level of the passageway 15, the upper damper portion 12 directing the discharging air away from the inlet't'o passageway I 5. When the air supplied to the room decreases the room air temperature to the outdoor temperature, the switchcontact controlling strips 31,32wi1l separate, therebybreaking circuit to the fan motor 22, unless of course the stop'tfi has already stopped the motor. When'the motor stops, pressurewill equalize on the opposite faces of thedarnper pi i1 and-the weight [8 will swing thepiate to conduit closing position. Since the plate Ii cannot be'open'ed by wind pressure, lowering of the temperature in the room 2 below 'the desired degree cannot occur, thereby protecting'the stored produce.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and-desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. Aventilating unit for POSitiOIlillg in an exterior wall opening ofaroom, comprising a conduit member having open ends, a freely swinging damper in said conduit member, means pivotally supporting said damper such that said damper has equal'surface areas on the opposite sides of its pivot line, a partition in said conduit member having an end edge substantially parallel to said damper pivot line and terminating adjacent to said'damper, said partition dividing said conduit member into longitudinal flow passageways, means tending to swing said damper into position acrosssaid conduit member and closing said passageways, and'a motor driven fan in one of said passageways "and operable to open said damper.

2. A ventilating unit for positioning in an exterior'wa'll opening of a room, comprising a conduit'meniber having open ends, a freely swinging damperin said conduit member, means pivotally supporting said damper such that said damper has equ'al surface areas on theopposite sides of its ipivotline, a partition in said conduit member having an end edge substantiallyparallelto said damper pivot ilineland terminating adjacent to saiddampen'said partitions'dividing said conduit member into longitudinal .fiow apassageways,

means tending to swing said damper into position across said conduit member and closing said passageways, a motor driven fan in one of said passageways and operable to open said damper, and a differential temperature switch mounted externally on the wall of said conduit member and controlling the motor of said fan in accordance with the difference in temperatures to which the opposite ends of said conduit member are subjected.

3. A ventilating unit for positioning in an exterior wall opening of a room, comprising a conduit member having open ends, a horizontally pivoted freely swinging damper in said conduit member, means pivotally supporting said damper such that said damper has equal surface areas on theopposite sides of its pivot line, a partition in said conduit member having an end edge substantially parallel to said damper pivot line and terminating adjacent to said damper, said partition dividing said conduit member into longitudia'l flow passageways, means tending to swing said damper into position across said conduit member and closing said passageways, and a motordriven suction fan in one or" passai ways and operable to create a subatmospleric pressure on the damper portion closing the passageway'thereby to open said damper.

'4. A ventilating unit for positioning in an exterior wall opening of aroom, comprising a conduit member, a partition in the room end of said conduit member and dividing said conduit member into an upper outflowpassageway and a lower inflow passageway, a horizontally pivoted damper in said conduit member, means pivotaiiy support-- ing said damper such that said damper has its pivot line dividing said damper into equal area upper and'lower portions, said lower pering swingable into said lower passages v, partition terminating within said conduit in amber closely adjacent said damper and m dway oi the height of said conduit member, said damper lower portion being weighted thereby to said damper to closed position, and a motor driven ian in said lower passageway operabie to create suhatmospheric pressure on the passageway side of said lower damper portion so that said r i will be swung to open position upon opera said fan.

5. A'ventilating unit for positioning in an exterior wall opening of a room, comprising a conduit member, a partition in the room end of said conduit member and dividing said conduit member into an upper outflow passageway and lower inflow passageway, a horizontally pivoted damper insaid conduit member, means pivotaliy support ing said damper such that said damper has its pivot line dividing said damper into equal area upper and lower portions, said lower portion being swingable into said lower passageway, said partitionterminating within said conduit member closely adjacent said damper and midway oi the height of said conduit member, said. damper lower portion being weighted thereby to urge said damper to closed position, a motor driven fan in said lower passageway operable to create sub-- atmospheric pressure on the passageway side of said lower damper portion so that said damper will be swung to open position upon operation of said fan, and a difierential temperature switch mounted externally on the wall of said conduit member and operable when the temperature at the room end of said conduit member is higher than the temperature at the exterior end of said conduit member to start said Ian.

6. A ventilating unit for positioning in an exterior wall opening of a room, comprising a sheet metal conduit member, a longitudinal partition extending into said conduit member from its room end and dividing said conduit member into an upper outflow passageway and a lower inflow passageway, the room end portion of said partition being inclined downward, pivot means carried by the side walls of said conduit member midway of its height and inward from the exterior end of said conduit member, a damper supported by said pivot means and having equal area upper and lower portions so that wind pressure in the exterior end of said conduit member will not open said damper, said partition terminating at its inner end adjacent said pivot means and serving as a stop to limit opening of said damper, said damper being limited against opening movement beyond the end of said conduit member, means weighting said damper lower portion to swing said damper to closed position, a closure plate across said lower passageway and having a circular opening therethrough, and a motor driven fan in said lower passageway cooperable with said plate opening and operable to create sub-atmospheric pressure on said lower damper portion to open said damper and draw air through said lower passageway.

LEWIS W. EGGLESTON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

